CIVIL WAR IN LEWIS COUNTY
Press-News Journal SEE PAGE 2A
Lewis County
Serving the communities of Lewis County, Mo. since 1862
Thursday, October 27, 2011
(USPS 088-820) Vol. XXXIX New Series, No. 43 Canton, Mo. 63435 • 20 Pages • 2 Sections • 55 cents
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SINGER WAIVES PRELIMINARY HEARING By Dan Steinbeck, Editor dan@lewispnj.com
The Canton teenager accused of threatening to burn the Canton School has waived her preliminary hearing. The case of Heather Nicole Singer, 17, who is charged with the class C felony of making a terrorist threat, was bound over to Lewis County Circuit Court, with formal arraignment set for Nov. 10 at 9 a.m. Judge Russell Steele will hear the case. Singer was allowed to post $1,000 cash and be under house arrest. Singer had been enrolled at Canton R-V School when, according to court records “on or about September 27 (she) communicated on a Facebook page and confirmed it to a school official and law enforcement officer a threat to burn down the Canton R-V School.”
HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES See story on page 9B
CANTON UNABLE TO ANSWER SHELBINA CALL FOR AERIAL TRUCK The Canton fire department aerial truck was called to assist a huge Shelbina business fire early Thursday morning, Oct. 20. However, the department was unable to send a truck because the aerial truck was unavailable, as it was in St. Louis for required annual service check, according to Canton Fire Chief Jeff McReynolds.
BREAKING NEWS UPDATES AT
Photo by Rita Cox
This beautiful rainbow appeared early Tuesday morning over a freshly cut field west of LaGrange.
Three arrested for manufacture of meth at LaBelle Senior Housing
LAY, ROMAN By Dan Steinbeck, Editor dan@lewispnj.com
Three men, including two brothers were arrested Saturday, Oct. 22, after the discovery of a methamphetamines lab at LaBelle Senior Housing. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office was attempting to locate a wanted subject at 302 North Sixth (apartment 2B, LaBelle Senior Housing). As a deputy approached the door, he smelled doors from the
LEWIS, JOHN D
LAY, CHARLES
apartment associated with the manufacturing of meth. Upon entry into the apartment three individuals, occupants of the address were actively involved in the production of meth and taken into custody. Arrested were Roman Lee Lay, 25, Lewistown, who was on parole from the Missouri Department of Corrections after an early release; his brother Charles R. Lay, 27, Lewistown, who was released
from the Missouri Department of Corrections the day before; and John D. Lewis, 41, LaBelle, also a prior felon. Each is charged with the class B felony of manufacturing of methamphetamines and are being held in the Lewis County Jail, each in lieu of $50,000. The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Northeast Missouri’s Narcotics Task Force assisted the Sheriff’s Office.
Crane flips during tower work in Ewing By Dan Steinbeck, Editor dan@lewispnj.com
A crane flipped over Friday morning in Ewing while a radio tower was being taken down to be moved to the Ewing R-4 Fire station. Ewing R-4 Fire Chief Doug Vaughn said he was donating the 150-foot tower to the fire department, to replace one destroyed in the late June windstorm. As a crane of Blick’s Construction in Quincy was taking down the tower, the crane “tipped over fairly slowly,” according to Vaughn. Vaughn said the cab did not make contact with the ground, and four members of the R-4 department who were already on scene extricated the operator in a matter of minutes. There were no apparent injuries to the operator. Vaughn has worked with Blick’s before on tower projects, and Blick’s had installed the tower 22 years earlier with the same crane. Vaughn has never had a problem before. The donated tower was damaged, and Vaughn said would be scrapped for salvage, and the retractable boom of the crane was also damaged. Another Blick’s crane removed the damaged crane, and the site was cleared about 4 p.m. Blick’s indicated they had a tower to donate to the fire station.
TAX STATEMENTS DELAYED IN GETTING TO RESIDENTS By Dan Steinbeck, Editor dan@lewispnj.com
The Lewis County tax statements will be slightly later arriving this year than usual. County Collector Robert E. Veatch said the state was late getting the tax rate information to county collectors. “At least 35 counties did not have all their rates until last week,” Veatch said
Monday, Oct. 24, adding he didn’t know what caused the state delays. Tax rates are set by individual taxing entities, but then are certified by the state auditor’s office. Veatch anticipated starting the printing of tax statements by the end of this week, but said it may take two weeks to get the statements printed and stuffed into the envelopes.
In addition, Veatch said those in the Gregory, Union Township, and Fabius River Drainage District would receive a separate later mailing of drainage district tax statements from his office. This was due to delays in the Fabius District getting their tax book set. All tax payments will still be due by December 31.